▪ I. adorn, v.
(əˈdɔːn)
Forms: 4–5 aourne, 5 aorne, 5–6 adourne, 5–7 adorne, 6– adorn.
[a. OFr. aörne-r, aürne-r, aourne-r, (later adourne-r, adorne-r):—L. adornā-re to fit out, to deck out; f. ad to + ōrnā-re to furnish, to deck. The d of pref. ad-, regularly dropped in OFr., began to be inserted again by the Fr. scribes in 14th c., and has regularly appeared in Eng. since the end of the 15th. See also the form anorn.]
I. To be an ornament to.
1. To beautify as an ornament does; to be an ornament to; to add beauty or lustre to.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. Proem 2 O blisfull light, of which the bemes clere Adornith al the thryd hevyn faire. 1659 Dryden On Death of Cromw. vii, No borrow'd bays his temples did adorn. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 840 Of choicest Flours a Garland to adorne Her Tresses. 1775 Burke Sp. Conc. Amer. Wks. III. 94 The venerable rust that rather adorns and preserves, than destroys the metal. 1851 Ruskin Stones Ven. (1874) I. Pref. 7 The circular temple of the Croydon Gas Company adorned the centre of the pastoral and sylvan scene. |
2. fig. To add lustre to, as a quality does.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xv. lxxiii. (1495) 515 Moost noble ryuers, Ganges Indus and Hispanes, that aourne the countre of ynde. 1666 Dryden Ann. Mirab. 176 Thousands were there Whose names some nobler poem shall adorn. 1742 W. Collins Ecl. i. 40 Each softer virtue that adorns the fair. 1848 L. Hunt Jar of Honey ix. 119 The following might have adorned the pages of Spenser. Mod. The piety which adorns his character. |
3. Hence, Of a person: To add to the honour, splendour, or attractiveness of anything, by his presence.
| 1534 Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) E, The holie senate was adorned with olde prudente persons. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 527 ¶2 The pitying Goddess easily comply'd, Follow'd in Triumph, and adorn'd her Guide. 1727 Pope Dunc. iii. 134 And a new Cibber shall the stage adorn. 1795 Sewel tr. Hist. Quakers I. ii. 143 That every one, in your respective places, may adorn the truth. 1870 L'Estrange Life of Miss Mitford I. iv. 108 Three such women as have seldom adorned one age and one country. |
II. To furnish with ornaments.
4. To fit out or furnish with anything that beautifies; to deck, ornament, beautify, decorate, or embellish (with). Now chiefly poetic.
| 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy ii. xvi, I can my worke..Right as me lyst, adourne and make fayre. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour 39 To see you in suche pompe and pride to aorne suche a carion as is youre body. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 268/2 Our sauyour went to his passion on horsbacke aourned as a kynge. 1530 Palsgr. 417/2, I adorne, I beautyfy with fayre clothes or otherwyse. Jadorne. 1580 Baret Alvearie, To be adourned with garlandes and Roses on their heades. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, v. iv. 134 Adorne his Temples with a Coronet. 1607 Topsell Serpents (1653) 805 The female..maketh much of her young ones, licking and adorning their skins. 1611 Bible Is. lxi. 10 As a bride adorneth herselfe with her iewels. 1718 Freethinker No. 150 in Philol. Anglic., He would take as much care to adorn his mind as his body. 1807 Crabbe Par. Reg. ii. 318 A decent room Adorned with carpet, formed in Wilton's loom. 1853 Arabian Nights (Routl.) 584 Begin to adorn yourself in one of your most elegant dresses. |
5. fig. To embellish with any property or quality.
| 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy iii. xxv, To magnifye And adourne it with his eloquence. 1530 Palsgr. 417 It is better to adorne the with vertues. 1586 T. B. tr. La Primaudaye's Fr. Acad. ii. 195 The gifts and graces, wherewith God daily adorneth and enricheth his children. 1652 Needham tr. Selden's Mare Cl. 9 Most deservedly adorned with divers other honors in his own country. 1756 Burke Subl. & B. Wks. I. 298 The many great vertues with which he has adorned his mind. |
† 6. To deck out speciously, dress up, ‘get up,’ prepare. Obs.
| 1589 Nashe Anat. Absurd. 6 Are they not ashamed..to adorne a pretence of profit mixt with pleasure. 1622 M. Fotherby Atheom. i. v. §3. 34 No man adorneth disputation against him. |
¶ By confusion of ador-en and adorn-(en, helped by the sense of honour, in which both meet: To adore.
| 1470 Harding Chron. lxvii, Mars, the God of Armes, they did adorne. 1480 Caxton Ovid's Metam. x. v, She wolde leve this contre in [which she] was aorned and worshipped. 1581 T. Nuce tr. Seneca's Octavia 174 b, Augustus..Whom as a God in minsters we adorne. a 1600 Soutar descryvit in Ever-Green (1761) I. 118 Kneiland full lawly on thair Kneis, Thair Gods till adorn. |
▪ II. † adorn, n. Obs.
[f. the vb.]
Adornment.
| 1592 W. Wyrley Armorie 44 With brave Bundutia or Viragoes best..She may compare for valerous adorne. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iii. xii. 20 Without adorne of gold or silver. |
▪ III. † adorn, a. rare—1.
(əˈdɔːn)
[f. It. adorno, short for adornato adorned:—L. adōrnātus pa. pple. of adōrnā-re: see adorn v.]
Adorned, ornate.
| 1667 Milton P.L. viii. 576 She will acknowledge thee her head, Made so adorn for thy delight the more. |